Battery Exchange Station

ABSTRACT

At a battery exchange station a discharged battery is removed and a charged battery is inserted into an electric vehicle. The battery exchange station has various mechanisms to make this exchange. In some embodiments, the batteries are stored in a warehouse, where they are given an appropriate amount of charge. The charged batteries are moved from the warehouse by an automated robotic mechanism. The automated robotic system provides the charged battery to a battery exchange system which inserts the charged battery into the vehicle after it removes the discharged battery from the vehicle. The insertion and removal of the battery is done vertically, i.e., into and out of the bottom of the vehicle. The battery exchange system is located in a service bay under the vehicle. A sliding door system creates an opening above the service bay. The opening is of variable size depending on the size of the vehicle.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the following U.S. ProvisionalPatent Applications all of which are incorporated by reference herein intheir entirety: U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/166,239,filed Apr. 2, 2009, entitled “Battery Exchange Station”; U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/206,913, filed Feb. 4, 2009,entitled “Battery exchange station”; U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/149,690, filed Feb. 3, 2009, entitled “Battery Exchange Station”;and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/098,724, filed Sep. 19,2008, entitled “Battery Bay and Battery Exchange Station.”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of electric carswith exchangeable batteries and more specifically relates to theexchange stations for swapping such electric batteries.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The vehicle (e.g., cars, trucks, planes, boats, etc.) is an integralpart of the modern economy. Unfortunately, fossil fuels, like oil, usedto power automobiles have numerous drawbacks including: a dependence onlimited foreign sources for these fossil fuels, pollution, and climatechange. One solution to these problems is to increase the fuel economyof automobiles. Recently, gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles have beenintroduced, which have fuel economies that are substantially higher thanthe fuel economy of their traditional non-hybrid counterparts. However,hybrid vehicles do not eliminate the need for fossil fuels.

Another solution to these problems is to use clean engine technologiessuch as engines powered by fuel cells or batteries. However, many ofthese clean engine technologies are not yet practical. For example, fuelcell vehicle are still in the development stage and are expensive.Similarly, battery technology has not advanced to the point wherebatteries can power electric vehicles for long distances. Batteries arecostly and may add as much as 40% to the cost of a vehicle. Furthermore,batteries can take many hours to recharge.

Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a vehicle systemthat addresses the above described drawbacks.

SUMMARY

In order to overcome the above described drawbacks, a network of chargespots and battery exchange stations are deployed to provide the electricvehicle user with the ability to keep his or her vehicle charged andavailable for use at all times. Some embodiments provide a system andmethod to quickly exchange, a spent depleted (or substantiallydischarged) battery pack for a fully charged (or substantially fullycharged) battery pack at a battery exchange station. The quick exchangeis performed in a period of time significantly less than that requiredto recharge a battery, e.g., generally between forty seconds and fiveminutes. Thus, the long battery recharge time may no longer be relevantto a user of an electric vehicle who is traveling beyond the range ofthe battery. Since the electric vehicle is powered by a battery, thedependence on fossil fuels can be reduced, and the energy required tocharge the battery can be generated by renewable and/or clean resources(e.g., solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, etc.).

Furthermore, the cost of the electric vehicle can be substantiallyreduced because the battery of the electric vehicle can be separatedfrom the initial cost of the vehicle. For example, the battery can beowned by a party other than the user of the vehicle, such as a financialinstitution or a service provider. These concepts are explained in moredetail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/234,591, filed Sep. 19,2008, entitled Electronic Vehicle Network, incorporated herein byreference. Thus, the batteries may be treated as components of theelectric recharge grid (ERG) infrastructure to be monetized over a longperiod of time, and not a part of the vehicle purchased by the consumer.

The following provides a detailed description of a system and method forswapping-out, exchanging, or replacing battery packs in electricvehicles. In order to exchange a spent battery for a charged battery, abattery exchange station is provided. Some embodiments provide a networkof battery exchange stations that can exchange discharged batteries forcharged batteries, and can charge the discharged batteries for insertioninto another vehicle. The battery exchange station has variousmechanisms to facilitate the exchange of old discharged batteries forand new charged batteries. The same subsystems described herein for anexchange station can be assembled in different configurations to tailormake each exchange station to fit its local specific needs andconstraints.

Some embodiments provide a sliding door system for providing access toan underside of a vehicle. The sliding door system includes: a doorconfigured to slide in a first direction, and a conveyor system in thedoor configured to slide in a second direction opposite to the firstdirection while supporting a least one wheel of a vehicle.

In some embodiments, the door is slidably coupled to at least one rail.In some embodiments, the sliding door system is configured to couple toa service bay such that when the door slides it exposes an opening abovethe service bay. In some embodiments, the opening that is exposed is ofvariable size, and is sizable with respect to one or more of thevehicle's wheelbase or track. In some embodiments, the opening that isexposed is sized to receive a battery for the vehicle there through.

In some embodiments, the conveyor system is one or more conveyor beltseach configured to support a distinct wheel. In some embodiments, theone or more conveyor belts include a first conveyor belt and a secondconveyor belt. The first conveyor belt is larger than the secondconveyor belt to support differently sized vehicles. In someembodiments, the one or more conveyor belts each have an uppersupporting surface. The upper supporting surface is flush with the door.In some embodiments, the one or more conveyor belts are free to rotatewithout power.

In some embodiments, the sliding door system includes one or moreelectric motors, wherein each electric motor rotates a respectiveconveyor belt. In some embodiments, the one or more conveyor belts areconfigured to alter the yaw of the vehicle. In some embodiments, theconveyor system is one or more roller pads each for supporting adistinct wheel.

Some embodiments provide a method of servicing a vehicle. The methodincludes the following steps: providing a sliding door systemcomprising: a door; and a conveyor system in the door. receiving avehicle over the sliding door system such that at least one wheel of thevehicle rests on the conveyor system; and sliding the door in a firstdirection while allowing the conveyor system to slide in a seconddirection opposite to the first direction while supporting the at leastone wheel, wherein the sliding of the door and the sliding of theconveyor system happen at least partially concurrently.

In some embodiments, the first direction is perpendicular to alongitudinal axis of the vehicle and parallel to an underside of thevehicle.

In some embodiments, the method also includes: providing a first guidepositioned on the door adjacent to the conveyor system, and stopping thesliding when the at least one wheel contacts the first guide.

In some embodiments, the method also includes: providing a second guidepositioned adjacent to the door; providing a second conveyor systempositioned adjacent to the second guide remote from the door forsupporting a second wheel; and allowing the second conveyor system toslide in the first direction translating the vehicle in the firstdirection until the second wheels contacts the second guide.

In some embodiments, the method also includes: providing a conveyorsystem and corresponding guide for each wheel of the vehicle; andaltering the yaw of the vehicle by allowing each conveyor system torotate until its respective wheel hits its corresponding guide.

In some embodiments, the method also includes: providing one or morerising supports, and lifting the vehicle on the one or more risingsupports to alter the vehicle's roll and pitch.

Some embodiments provide a battery exchange station, comprising: abattery exchange system configured to: lower a first rechargeablebattery from a cavity in an underside of an at least partially electricvehicle along a first axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formedby a bottom surface of the at least partially vehicle; and lift secondrechargeable battery into the cavity in the underside of the at leastpartially electric vehicle along a second axis parallel to the firstaxis.

In some embodiments, the battery exchange station also includes awarehouse configured to charge a plurality of different sizedrechargeable batteries.

In some embodiments, the battery exchange system of the battery exchangestation includes: a shuttle slidably coupled to at least one rail; anexchange platform; and a hydraulic or scissor lift mechanism coupledbetween the shuttle and the exchange platform. In some embodiments, itfurther includes a gripper coupled to the exchange platform configuredto temporarily fix the first and second rechargeable batteries to thebattery exchange system. In some embodiments, the battery exchangesystem has at least three degrees of freedom. In some embodiments, thebattery exchange system is located below ground when at a rest position.In other embodiments, the battery exchange system is located aboveground when at a rest position.

In some embodiments, the battery exchange station further includes: anindexing system configured to measure alignment between the exchangeplatform and the cavity in the underside of the at least partiallyelectric vehicle.

In some embodiments, the battery exchange system of the battery exchangestation further includes: an unlocking mechanism configured toelectronically activate a lock on the at least partially electricvehicle. In some embodiments, it includes an unlocking mechanismconfigured to mechanically activate a lock on the at least partiallyelectric vehicle.

Some embodiments provide a method of exchanging a battery in an at leastpartially electric vehicle. The method includes: removing a firstrechargeable battery from a cavity in an underside of an at leastpartially electric vehicle by lowering the first rechargeable batteryalong a first axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by abottom surface of the at least partially vehicle; and inserting thesecond battery into the cavity in the underside of the at leastpartially electric vehicle by lifting the second battery along a secondaxis parallel to the first axis. In some embodiments, the first axis andthe second axis are collinear.

In some embodiments, the method includes, prior to the inserting,retrieving the second battery from a battery charging warehouse, andtemporarily storing the second battery in a standby location.

In some embodiments, the method includes, retrieving, with an automatedrobotic mechanism the second battery from a rack module inside thebattery charging warehouse, and delivering the second battery from theautomated robotic mechanism to a battery exchange system.

In some embodiments, the method includes, after the removing, moving thefirst rechargeable battery to a battery charging warehouse. In someembodiments, the method includes, prior to the removing, mechanicallydisengaging a lock attaching the first battery to the at least partiallyelectric vehicle.

In some embodiments, the mechanically disengaging comprises: inserting akey into a lock on the at least partially electric vehicle; andretracting the key until into the exchange platform.

In some embodiments, the method of exchanging happens in under fiveminutes.

In some embodiments, the method includes prior to the removing, cleaningat least a portion of the first battery.

In some embodiments, the removing occurs at a first location and theinserting occurs at a second location.

In some embodiments, the method includes prior to the removing,automatically translating the vehicle to a first location above aservice bay; and after the inserting, automatically translating thevehicle to a second location distinct from the first location.

Some embodiments provide an expandable modular system of racks with aplurality of rack modules for charging batteries of different sizes. Insome embodiments, a respective rack module is configured for charging atleast two different sized batteries. In some embodiments, a plurality ofrack modules includes first rack modules and second rack modules. Thefirst rack modules are configured to charge batteries of a first size,and the second rack modules are configured to charge batteries of asecond size different than the batteries of the first size. In someembodiments, a respective rack module includes a battery presence sensorfor sensing when a respective battery is in place, one more batterylocating features to enable positioning of the battery, and a connectoractuator arm for removably coupling to the battery for charging. In someembodiments, the modular system of rack is entirely underground.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the aforementioned aspects of theinvention as well as additional aspects and embodiments thereof,reference should be made to the Description of the Embodiments below, inconjunction with the following drawings. These drawings illustratevarious portions of the battery exchange station. It should beunderstood that various embodiments besides those directly illustratedcan be made to encompass the concepts of this invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates an electric vehicle network, according to someembodiments.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a battery exchangestation.

FIG. 3 is a cut-away side view of an embodiment of a battery exchangestation where the exchange station swap lane is built above ground.

FIG. 4 is is a cut-away side view of an embodiment of an exchangestation where the exchange station swap lane is built at ground level.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of an electric vehicle with its batteryinserted.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of an electric vehicle with its batterypartially removed.

FIG. 6A is a perspective cut away view of the swap lane and warehouse ofa battery exchange station according to some embodiments.

FIG. 6B is a perspective cut away view of the swap lane and warehouse ofa FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a sliding door system that is in aclosed position.

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the sliding door system of FIG. 7A thatis in an open position.

FIG. 8A is a front cut away view of a vehicle supported on a swapstation sliding door that is in a partially open position.

FIG. 8B is a front cut away view of a vehicle supported on a swapstation sliding door that is in a fully open position.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the internal components of the warehouseand the swap lane stations according to some embodiments.

FIG. 10A is a detailed perspective view of rack modules configured tocharge and store thick battery packs.

FIG. 10B is a detailed perspective view of rack modules configured tocharge and store flat battery packs.

FIG. 11A is a side cut away view of an expandable modular warehousepartially above ground according to some embodiments.

FIG. 11B is a side cut away view of an expandable modular warehousecompletely below ground according to some embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a detailed perspective view of the automated roboticmechanism of FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the battery exchange system accordingto some embodiments.

FIG. 14 is a detailed perspective view of the battery exchange system ofFIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the battery exchange system and thewarehouse according to some embodiments.

FIG. 16A is a flow diagram of part of a process of exchanging a battery.

FIG. 16B is a flow diagram of part of a process of exchanging a battery.

Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout thedrawings.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of whichare illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detaileddescription, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will beapparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present inventionmay be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been describedin detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.

The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is forthe purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is notintended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the description ofthe invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and“the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless thecontext clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that theterm “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and allpossible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The present invention is directed to an exchange station for electricvehicles. The exchange station removes at least partially dischargedbatteries from electric vehicles and replaces them with a leastpartially charged batteries. In some embodiments the station is fullyautomated, and the exchange process is fully automatic. A driver maywish to step out of the vehicle during the battery exchange process, andin such an instance the driver can wait in a waiting area until theexchange process is complete. In some embodiments, the waiting area hasbenches, entertainment options, informational videos, vending machines,bank machines, etc. The batteries will be exchanged in a minimal amountof time. In some embodiments the exchange process is performed in underfive minutes. Still other embodiments perform the exchange in less thanfour minutes. Yet other in embodiments perform the exchange in less thanone minute. Finally, in some embodiments, the exchange is performed inforty seconds.

FIG. 1 illustrates an electric vehicle network 100, according to someembodiments. The electric vehicle network 100 includes an at leastpartially electric vehicle 102 and a battery 104 configured to beremovably coupled to the vehicle 102. In some embodiments, the battery104 includes any device capable of storing electric energy such asbatteries (e.g., lithium ion batteries, lead-acid batteries,nickel-metal hydride batteries, etc.), capacitors, reaction cells (e.g.,Zn-air cell), etc. In some embodiments, the battery 104 includes aplurality of individual battery cells or chemical modules. In someembodiments, the battery 104 also includes cooling mechanisms, as wellas mechanical and electrical connectors for connecting to the vehicle102 or to the various elements of the battery exchange station 106.

In some embodiments, the vehicle 102 includes an electric motor 103 thatdrives one or more wheels of the vehicle. In these embodiments, theelectric motor 103 receives energy from the battery 104 (shown separatefrom the vehicle for ease of explanation). The battery 104 of thevehicle 102 may be charged at a home 130 of a user 110 or at one or morecharge stations 132. For example, a charge station 132 may be located ina shopping center parking lot. Furthermore, in some embodiments, thebattery 104 of the vehicle 102 can be exchanged for a charged battery atone or more battery exchange stations 106. Thus, if a user is travelinga distance beyond the range of a single charge of the battery of thevehicle, the discharged (or partially discharged) battery can beexchanged for a charged (or partially charged) battery so that the usercan continue with his/her travels without waiting for the originalbattery to be recharged. The relation of these components to relatedpower and data networks are explained in more detail in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/234,591, filed Sep. 19, 2008, entitledElectronic Vehicle Network, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

The exchange station 106 is made up of various components described indetail below. It should be noted that the exchange station 106 design ismodular. As such, the same subsystems can be assembled in differentconfigurations to tailor each station to fit its local specific needsand constraints. Furthermore, many of the exchange station 106components are themselves modular such that they can support anexpanding service station 106 brought about by an increased demand forservices. For example, as explained with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11Bbelow, the exchange station 106 can be reconfigured to accommodate morebatteries 104 by adding racks or rack modules to the top of the existingwarehouse. Similarly, the automated robotic mechanism and thecontrolling software and hardware are designed to be easily reconfiguredto service these additional batteries.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the battery exchangestation 106. As shown in FIG. 2, the battery exchange station 106includes at least one swap lane 202 and a warehouse 204 for storing andcharging batteries. The warehouse 204 is covered by an external skin 208which protects the batteries and automation devices from weather abuse,crime and vandalism. The swap lane 202 is the area in the exchangestation in which the electric vehicle 102 travels, from entrance toexit, and in which the electric vehicle undergoes several operationssuch as battery cleaning and battery exchange. A single building blockof a battery exchange station 106 has at least one swap lane 202 withone station for exchanging a spent battery with a charged battery. Theswap lanes 202 can be located in series or in parallel with respect toone another. In some embodiments the warehouse 204 is located in themiddle of the exchange station 106 with a swap lane 202 on either sideof it as illustrated in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, there are one ormore swap lanes 202 on each side of the warehouse 204. In someembodiments, multiple swap lanes 202 exist in series one after theother. In some embodiments, multiple swap stations for exchanging aspent battery with a charged battery are serviced by a single cleaningstation in a single swap lane 202. The battery exchange station 106 canbe built in using underground swapping or above ground swapping.

When an electric vehicle 102 enters the battery exchange station 106 insome embodiments it encounters an entry gate (not shown) located at theentrance to the swap lane 202. The entry gate prevents un-sequenced orundesirable entry of vehicles 102 into the swap lane. The entry gate isalso the location where a vehicle waits to enter the swap lane 202 whenheavy traffic volume is encountered.

In some embodiments, the user 110 (FIG. 1) also encounters the driverinterface 206 when first entering the battery exchange station. Thedriver interface 206 is a set of signal lights, displays, or audiodevices which communicate with the user 110. An embodiment of a driverinterface 206, shown in FIG. 2, is an animated display on a portion ofthe exterior wall of the warehouse 204. The driver interface 206 sends aset of instructions to the user 110 to instruct the user to safelyengage his vehicle 102 with the station's automated devices. The driverinterface 206 may also provide additional information to the driver(s)and passenger(s) regarding different services which are available at thebattery exchange station. Some of the driver interfaces are installedinside the electric vehicle 102 and interact with the driver andpassenger while they are in the vehicle 102. The electric vehicle 102 isallowed to proceed at the appropriate time, by obtaining signals fromone or both of the gate and the driver interface 206 (internal to orexternal to the vehicle). In some embodiments, the driver pulls thevehicle forward. In other embodiments, the vehicle proceedsautomatically under its own powers while controlled by a remote system.In still other embodiments the vehicle is moved by vehicle translationsystem 610 (discussed with respect to FIG. 6B).

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the exchange station 106 having an aboveground swap lane 302. As shown in FIG. 3, above ground swapping requiresthe vehicle 102 to be on an exchange ramp 304. In some embodiments, theuser 110 drives the vehicle 102 onto the exchange ramp. In someembodiments, the vehicle is automatically translated onto the ramp 304by a vehicle translation system 610 (discussed with respect to FIG. 6B).The above ground swap lane 302 requires less time to install than thebelow ground swap lane (discussed with respect to FIG. 4) because littleor no underground excavation infrastructure is required. This type ofabove ground swap lane 302 is especially useful in locations wheretemporary battery exchange stations 106 are required.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the exchange station 106 having a groundlevel swap lane 402. In this embodiment, the swapping mechanisms areburied below ground level. As shown in FIG. 4, underground swapping mayallow for a more user friendly driver experience, where all the motionof the vehicle 102 throughout the station is done at ground level. Theground level swap lane 402 requires some underground excavation. Forexample one or more service bays 618 (discussed with respect to FIG. 6).In both the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the location of the swaplane with respect to the warehouse 202 of FIG. 2 can be altered if thereare space constraints which are imposed at specific locations.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views of an at least partially electricvehicle 102. FIG. 5A illustrates the battery 104 attached to the vehicle102. FIG. 5B illustrates the battery 104 removed from the vehicle 102such that the cavity 108 in the vehicle configured to house the battery104 is visible. The embodiments described herein relate to the removalof an at least partially discharged battery 104 and the insertion of anat least partially charged battery 104 into the cavity 108 of thevehicle 102. In order to service different sized vehicles, theseembodiments are capable of handling variations between vehicles ofdifferent sizes. These embodiments are also capable of handling linearand rotational misalignments between each vehicle and the variousexchange station elements. FIG. 5A provides a defined coordinate systemand vehicle dimensions which will be referenced in later discussions.FIG. 5A illustrates a coordinate system in which the X-axis parallel tothe length of the vehicle from front to back, the Z-axis is parallel tothe height of the vehicle from top to bottom, and the Y-axis is parallelto the width of the vehicle from one side to the other. The roll of thevehicle is its rotation about the X-axis. The yaw of the vehicle is itsrotation about the Z-axis. The pitch of the vehicle is its rotationabout the Y-axis. It should be noted that different types of vehicleshave different lengths (along the X-axis) and consequently differentwheelbases (the distance between the front rear wheels as shown.)Different vehicles also have different widths and consequently differenttracks (the distance from one side wheel of the vehicle to the other asshown.) Furthermore, different vehicles have different tire sizes(diameter and width).

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate some elements of the swap lane 202 andwarehouse 204. In some embodiments, the swap lane 202 includes severalsubstations including a cleaning station 602, a swap station 604, amaintenance bay (not shown), or a waiting area 608. In some embodimentsthe vehicle 102 is carried along the swap lane 202 automatically by avehicle translation system 610. As such, the vehicle 102 can be movedfrom one swap lane substation to another without the need of the driverof the vehicle to drive the vehicle 102 forward.

As shown in FIG. 6B, in some embodiments the vehicle translation system610 includes several separate conveyors 606, for conveying the vehicle102 through along the swap lane 202 to the substations that arepositioned along the swap lane 202. FIG. 6B shows an embodiment of aswap lane 202 utilizing several conveyers 606 in series. In someembodiments, separate conveyors 606 for moving the vehicle to the properposition in the cleaning station 602, the swap station 604, and thewaiting area 608 are provided. In some embodiments, only a subset of theconveyors 606 is used in the vehicle translation system 610. In someembodiments, one long conveyor carries the vehicle from the entrance ofthe swap lane 202 to its exit.

Although not shown, in some embodiments, a separate conveyor system 606is used to evacuate a vehicle 102 to the maintenance bay area in thecase of a failure in the battery exchange process or other vehiclemalfunction. At the maintenance bay, a trouble-shooting procedure isinitiated and in some cases a replacement vehicle 102 is supplied to theuser 110.

In some embodiments, the vehicle translation system 610 can also conveya vehicle 102, which completed its battery exchange process, to thewaiting area 608 if its driver left the vehicle 102 at the entrance tothe station and the driver does not return to collect it. In suchmanner, the exit of the swap lane 202 will not be blocked by vehicleswhose drivers are not in the driver's seat or immediately available tocollect the vehicle.

Each conveyor system 606 includes a drive motor (not shown) and a drivechain 612 which is wrapped around fixed gears 614 on either end. In someembodiments, a “ski lift” style conveyer uses a vehicle translationelement 616 such as a T-bar which makes contact with a wheel of thevehicle and pushes the vehicle 102 forward. In some embodiments, thereare three separate conveyor systems for moving the vehicle 102 forward.The first conveyor system's vehicle translation element 616 makescontact with the back wheel of the vehicle and pushes the vehicle 102into the cleaning station 602. The second conveyor system's vehicletranslation element 616 makes contact with the front wheel of thevehicle 102 and pushes it into the swap station 604. After the exchangeprocess is completed, the second conveyor then makes contact with theback wheel of the vehicle and pushes the vehicle 102 until the thirdconveyor system's vehicle translation element 616 makes contact with thevehicle's front wheel and pushes the vehicle 102 to a waiting area 608.

In some embodiments, the swap lane 202 includes a cleaning station 602and/or a swap station 604 which are each housed in their own servicebays 618. In some embodiments, openings 620 are exposed in the servicebays 618 by sliding door systems (discussed with respect to FIGS. 7A and7B.) In some embodiments, a service bay 618 houses a cleaning station602. In some embodiments, the vehicle is cleaned at the cleaning station602 before it enters the swap station 604 so that the discharged batteryis easier to remove and so that much of the dirt and debris on thedischarged battery does not enter the swap station 604 or warehouse 204.At the cleaning station 602, the bottom surface of the vehicle 102 andthe battery 104 are cleaned from dirt, mud, ice salt and other debriswhich may be present on the bottom section of the battery 104. In someembodiments, the components of a cleaning station include one or more ofthe following: brushes, sponges, water jets, an air knife, an airblower, or frozen carbon dioxide droplet blasting. In some embodimentsinstead of a sliding door system, a perforated screen is used at thecleaning station 602 which allows cleaning fluids to be sprayed on thebottom of the vehicle 102 and battery 104 and allows air to be blown onthe battery 104 to dry it. In some embodiments, frozen carbon dioxidedroplets are blasted against the vehicle and battery to dispose of anydirt or debris, and thus no drying is required.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views of a sliding door system 700 in anopen and a closed position. This sliding door system 700 includes a door704 with at least one conveyor system 706 in the door 704. In someembodiments, the sliding door system 700 can be used in the swap station604, the cleaning station 602, and/or the maintenance bay. The slidingdoor system 700 is configured to couple to a service bay 618 and exposean opening 620 above the service bay 618. In this embodiment the slidingdoor system 700 will be discussed with relation to the swap station 604.As explained above, in some embodiments, the vehicle 102 is translatedto the swap station 604 by a conveyor 606 of the vehicle translationsystem 610. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7A, the conveyor 606 includesa vehicle translation element 616 attached to a chain 612 which iswrapped around fixed gears 614 on either end. The vehicle 102 is stoppedby a wheel stopping unit 702 located adjacent to a conveyor system 706or 718. In some embodiments, the wheel stopping unit 702 is designed tostop one of the vehicle rear wheels at a predetermined location abovethe conveyor system 706.

The opening 620 is designed to accommodate different sized vehicles 102and batteries 104. Manufacturers of electric vehicles may maximize thevolume available for batteries in order to maximize the capacity ofelectric energy carried onboard an electric vehicle 102. Due to thisfact, larger vehicles may have larger batteries 104 than smallervehicles would be capable of carrying. The swap station 604 sliding doorsystem 700 must be large enough to accommodate the removal of even thelargest size battery 104. It must also be small enough to ensure that asmall vehicle 102 does not fall through the opening 620. One solution isto utilize a sliding door system 700 where the opening 620 variesaccording to the size of the vehicle 102.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an embodiment of a sliding door system 700with two door conveyor systems 706. Other embodiments have only one doorconveyor system 706. Each door conveyor system 706 is configured tosupport a different wheel of a vehicle 102. The door 704 is slidablycoupled to at least one rail 708. When the door 704 slides open, asindicated by the arrow 710 in FIG. 7B, the upper supporting surface ofthe conveyor systems 706 slide in an opposite direction indicated byarrows 712 in FIG. 7B. Similarly, when the door 704 slides closed, theupper supporting surface conveyor systems 706 also slide in a directionopposite to the direction of the door 704 (i.e., the movement of thedoor 704 and the conveyor(s) 706 when closing is directly opposite tothe opening direction arrows 710 and 712 respectively). Each doorconveyor system 706 moves relative to the door 704 such that the eachdoor conveyor system 706 supports a wheel of a vehicle 102 in asubstantially stationary position despite the movement of the door 704.In some embodiments, the conveyor system 706 includes two rubber beltsthat slide over with rollers rotatably coupled to the door under therubber belts. The rubber belts form a basic conveyer device, similar toa “walking sidewalk.” In some embodiments, the belts surround and aresupported by the rollers so that the lower surface of the belt isbeneath the rollers and is housed inside or at the lower side of thedoor 704 while the supper surface of the conveyor belt(s) issubstantially flush with the upper surface of the door 704. In someembodiments, the axis of the rollers is parallel to the direction of theswap lane 202. This allows the door 704 to slide with respect to thevehicle wheels in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the swaplane 202. The belts may also be supported by ball bearings or anysuitable rotational mechanism. In some embodiments, the conveyor(s) 706are the roller pad(s) 722 of ball bearings. As such, the belts or rollerpads can slide in the plane formed by the surface of the door and/orpivot about the Z-axis so that the yaw of the vehicle may also becorrected by means of the sliding door 704 and conveyor system(s) 706.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the width (W) of each door conveyor system706 is somewhat smaller than the width of the door 704 this width isneeded to provide support for the wheel(s) of the vehicle as the dooropens and also supports vehicles with many different widths,specifically different sized tracks, i.e., the width between the wheelson the same axle. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B the length ofthe door conveyor systems 706 may vary. Some embodiments include a longconveyor system 716 (having a length L1) and a short conveyor system 714(having a length L2). This combination of short conveyor system 714 along conveyor system 716 allows vehicles with longer wheel bases to usethe same sliding door system 700 as vehicles with shorter wheel bases.Since a first wheel (the rear wheel in this embodiment) is stopped bythe wheel stopping unit 702 that wheel will stop in approximately thesame position no matter how large the vehicle is, and as such any sizedvehicle will have one wheel supported by a short conveyor system 704.The other wheels however, will be located on different portions of thelong conveyor system 716 depending on the length and specifically thewheel base of the vehicle 102. Longer vehicles will have a wheelpositioned on a portion of the long conveyor system 716 further from thenarrow conveyor system 714 and shorter vehicles will have their wheelpositioned on a portion of the long conveyor system 716 closer to thenarrow conveyor system 714.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are side views illustrating the opening of the slidingdoor system 700. Once the vehicle 102 is moved into a position where itswheel(s) are supported on the conveyor system(s) 706, the swap stationdoor 704 opens as shown by arrow 806 in FIG. 8A. The door 704 opensuntil the wheel(s) supported by the conveyor system(s) 706 make contactwith guide(s) 802 on the sliding door. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, insome embodiments, the door opens in a direction perpendicular to thedriving direction of the vehicle. As such, the guide(s) 802 will contacta side wall of the wheel. In other embodiments, the orientation of thesliding may be parallel to the driving direction of the vehicle.However, in most cases the direction of the sliding will beperpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle (perpendicular tothe Z-axis of FIG. 5A.)

Returning to FIGS. 7A and 7B, in some embodiments, the sliding doorsystem 700 also includes additional conveyor system(s) 718 not locatedin the door 704. The additional conveyor system(s) 718 are locatedadjacent to the door 704. These additional conveyor systems 718 may havethe same characteristics and dimensions discussed above with the doorconveyor systems 706, except that they are not as wide. The additionalconveyor system(s) 718 are each configured to support a different wheelthan the door conveyor systems 706. Between each additional conveyorsystem 718 and the door 704 is an additional guide 804, called a staticguide because it does not move with the sliding door 704. When thesiding door system 700 opens by sliding the door 704 in a firstdirection shown by arrow 806, the supporting surface(s) of the doorconveyor system(s) 706 do not immediately begin to move in a directionopposite from the door 704. Instead, the door 704 pulls the vehicle 102along with it while the supporting surface(s) of the additional conveyorsystem(s) 718 slide in the same direction as the door and 718 until thevehicle's wheels on the side opposite to the side supported by thesliding door 704 are contact the static guide(s) 804. Then the slidingdoor 704 continues to open while upper surface(s) of the door conveyorsystem(s) 706 slide in a direction opposite the direction of the dooruntil wheels on the other side of the vehicle are stopped against theguide 802 on the sliding door. In some embodiments, the sliding doorguide(s) 802 and the static guide(s) 804 are equipped with pressuresensors. These sensors allow a control system to stop the door 704 fromfurther opening action once the wheels come in contact with the slidingdoor guides 802.

In some embodiments, this dual conveyor system design, having one ormore door conveyor systems 706 and one or more additional conveyorsystems 718 not in the door, allows the automakers to expose an opening620 in a service bay 618 of variable size. The size of the opening 620is sized with respect to the vehicle's track or wheelbase depending onwhether the door 704 slides to the side of the vehicle 102 as shown inFIGS. 8A and 8B (along an axis parallel to the Y-axis of FIG. 5A) or tothe front or back of the vehicle (along an axis parallel to the X-axisof FIG. 5A). This dual conveyor system can maximize the access areaunder the vehicle to as wide as the distance between the vehicle wheels,because the door 704 opens until the area between the wheels issubstantially completely exposed. In such a way, almost the entire widthof the underside of the vehicle 102 is exposed (except for the width ofthe wheels.) As such, the opening 620 is generously sized to translate abattery 104 there through.

It should be noted that the sides of a vehicle 102 serve as a crimpingzone that absorbs side impact energy to protect the passengers, and assuch are generally not used to accommodate the battery 104. Thus,opening the door 704 any further than the wheels is unnecessary asbatteries may not be sized larger than the width between the wheels. Itshould also be noted that a variable sized opening 620 can also beachieved with only the door conveyor system(s) 706, although a slightlylarger opening is achieved by utilizing the dual conveyor system design.

In some embodiments, the conveyor systems 706, 718 are configured to bepassive, i.e., they are free to rotate without power. In otherembodiments, the conveyor systems 706, 718 are coupled to one or moreelectric motors which move the conveyor systems 706, 718. In someembodiments, each conveyor system 706, 718 is actuated by a separateelectric motor. Separate actuation of each conveyor system is used tocorrect any misalignment in the vehicle's yaw. In some embodiments, theswap station sliding door 704 slides underneath a covered area. Thisallows individuals to walk near the vehicle 102 during the exchangeprocess without interfering with the sliding door system 700. Thecovered area also keeps the door 704 clean and protected duringoperation.

Once the door 704 of the sliding door system 700 is opened the vehicleis prepared for the battery exchange process. Each individual vehicle102 that travels into the exchange station 106 has slightly differentalignment of yaw, pitch, and roll orientation as shown in FIG. 5. Theyaw misalignment is due to the vehicle 102 not entering an area abovethe service bay 618 in exact alignment with the direction of the swaplane 202. In some embodiments, the yaw of the vehicle 102 is correctedby positioning the vehicle wheels using the sliding door 704 andconveyor system(s) (706 or 706 and 718), as explained above. The rolland the pitch of the vehicle may be a result of different vehicle weightbias, pressure in the vehicle wheels, weight of the vehicle and vehiclesuspensions settings. In some embodiments, the roll and the pitch of thevehicle is addressed by two rising supports 720 shown in FIGS. 7A and7B. The supports 720 are located one on the sliding door 704 and onenear the static guide 804. The two rising supports 720 are located nearthe guides 802 and 804, and therefore they are typically located underthe vehicle body side structural beams, between the rear and the frontwheels no matter what size the vehicle is because the sliding doorguides 802 and 804 allow the swap station door 704 to open substantiallyall the way to the interior sides of the vehicle's wheels. The risingsupports 720 rise slightly, high enough to compensate for any suspensionor tire sag due to a weight similar to or greater than the weight of thebattery 104. The rising supports 720 rise to a predetermined height, andas such the vehicle 104 is slightly raised and its roll and pitch anglesare corrected. In this manner, the vehicle coordinate system ispositioned in parallel to a swap lane coordinate system. Misalignment ofyaw, pitch, and roll of the vehicle, with respect to the swap lane isminimized using these mechanisms. The location of the vehicle in thehorizontal plane (X-Z plane of FIG. 5) is set (achieved by the vehiclewheel stopping units 802 and 804), and the elevation of the vehicleabove ground is set at a predetermined height (achieved by the risingsupports 720). Alternately, the battery 104 and battery exchange system1300 (explained with respect to FIG. 13) may accommodate misalignment.The battery exchange process can now commence since the location of thevehicle 102, and consequently its battery bay 108 and its battery 104 isfully defined.

During or before the vehicle alignment process, discussed above, othersubunits of the battery exchange station 106 prepares an appropriatelysized charged battery 104 to be inserted into the vehicle 102. Part ofthis process utilizes a mechanism in the warehouse 204 (explained withrespect to FIG. 9) and part of this process utilizes the batteryexchange system 1300 (Explained with respect to FIG. 13.)

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the internal components of the warehouse204 and their relationship with the cleaning station 602 and the swapstation 604. The warehouse 204 includes a modular system of racks 902each with rack modules 904 for charging different batteries 104. Thisexpandable modular system is configured to charge a variety ofdifferently sized batteries. FIG. 9 shows an embodiment for storing andcharging flat batteries 906 and thick batteries 908. In someembodiments, forced air cooling ducts and fire proof separators are alsoemployed in the racks 902 to protect the batteries 104.

The warehouse 204 also includes an automated robotic mechanism 910. Theautomated robotic mechanism 910 that in some embodiments includes arobot 912 that travels on rails 914. FIG. 9 illustrates an embodimentwhere the battery storage racks 902 are placed between the swap station604 (and cleaning station 608) and the automated robotic mechanism 910.The robot 912 moves along one or more rail(s) 914 along the length ofthe racks in the warehouse. In some embodiments, the robot 912 isconfigured to remove an appropriately sized battery 104 from the side ofthe warehouse storage rack 902 opposite the vehicle 102, and thentransfers the battery 104 through the opening 916 in the racks 902.

It should be noted that in some embodiments all of the rack modules 904are used for charging. As such, a switching board routes the chargingpower to the rack modules 904 which contain batteries 104 that need tobe charged. In other embodiments, rack modules 904 for charging andother rack modules 904 that only store the batteries are provided. Insome embodiments, the automated robotic mechanism 910 shuffles batteries104 between the charging rack modules 904 and the storage rack modulesas needed.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are perspective views illustrating two embodiments ofthe rack modules 904. The flat battery rack module 1006 is built tostore and charge flat batteries 906, while the thick battery rack 1008module is configured to store and charge thick batteries 908. Thewarehouse 204 is configured to accommodate racks 902 of a variety ofconfigurations including the two illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B. Eachrack module 904 is equipped with the mechanical and electricalinterfaces that are specific to the particular type of battery itsupports.

FIG. 10A illustrates an embodiment for a thick battery 908 and itscorresponding thick battery rack module 1008. The thick battery rackmodule 1008 includes a battery locating feature 1010, a battery presencesensor 1012, a frame location hole 1014, and a connector actuator arm1016. The battery locating feature 1010 facilitates the thick battery908 being positioned in a specific location. Once the battery presencesensor 1012 senses the thick battery 908 is in place, the connectoractuator arm 1016 connects with the thick battery 908 and beginscharging. In some embodiments, the connector actuator arm 1016 connectsto the thick battery at an electrical connection interface on the thickbattery 908 which is also used to connect electrically connect the thickbattery 908 to the vehicle 102 when in use.

FIG. 10B illustrates the same elements (battery locating feature 1010, abattery presence sensor 1012, a frame location hole 1014, and aconnector actuator arm 1016) used in the flat battery rack module 1006is built to store and charge flat batteries 906 and as shown in FIG.10A. These same elements are utilized to service batteries of otherdimensions from the ones illustrated in FIGS. 11A and 11B.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are cut away side views illustrating that thewarehouse 204 can be configured in a variety of ways depending on theneeds of the specific location. In some embodiments, some of thebatteries 104 are stored in the rack modules 904 of the racks 902. FIGS.11A and 11B show racks 902 on both sides of the automated roboticmechanism 910. Some embodiments will have racks 902 only on one side ofthe automated robotic mechanism 910. In some embodiments, some batteries104 are stored underground while others are stored above ground. In someembodiments, all lithium batteries are stored underground. When thebatteries 104 are stored underground, they benefit from the thermalinsulation and stable temperature regime of the earth's crust, thuscutting down on cooling or heating costs of the warehouse 204.Furthermore, the batteries 104 are protected from vehicle collisions,and they are safer from external fires. Also, if a battery 104 explodesor causes a fire, its underground location creates an added protectionto the users 110 and service people.

In some embodiments, the warehouse 204 is modular as shown in FIG. 11.The warehouse 204 can be reconfigured to accommodate more batteries 104by adding racks 902 or rack modules 904 to the existing racks 902 andrack modules 904. In some embodiments, new rack modules 904 are added tothe top of existing rack modules 904, and thus as the warehouseincreases in capacity it also grows in height or length. This modulardesign easily increases the total capacity or volume of the warehouse204 by merely increasing the height or length of the warehouse walls.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the automated robotic mechanism 910.The robotic mechanism includes rails 914 and a robot 912 having atranslation platform 1202, a main body 1204, a central vertical rail1206, and one or more support arms 1208. The robot 912 has three axis oftranslation, which corresponds to three degrees of freedom. Inembodiments of the battery exchange station 106 where swap lanes 202 areon both sides of the warehouse 204, the robot 912 has a translationplatform 1202 that extends on either side of the main robot body 1204(the Y-direction). The translation platform(s) 1202 slide under thebatteries 104 to lift them from one location to another. In someembodiments, with thick batteries 908 only one of two translationplatforms 1202 is utilized. The robot 912 travels along rails 914parallel to the swap lane 202 inside the warehouse 204 in theX-direction. The translation platform(s) 1202 can also travel up anddown in the Z-direction by means of the central vertical rail or ladder1206 as shown. The robot 912 is supported by one or more upper supportarms 1208 which run along one or more rails 914 on the top of thewarehouse (not shown) and keep the robot 912 from twisting or bendingout of alignment. These mechanisms working together allow automatedrobotic mechanism to move differently shaped batteries up and down andin and out of the rack modules 904 as well delivering them to thebattery exchange system 1300 (described below).

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the battery exchange system 1300 ofsome embodiments. The battery exchange system includes: a shuttle 1302,an exchange platform 1304, a lift mechanism 1306, one or more standbylocations 1308, and a shuttle track 1310. The battery exchange system1300 inserts a battery 104 into a vehicle 102 and also removes a battery104 from a vehicle 102. The battery exchange system 1300 also transfersbatteries 104 to and from the warehouse 204.

In some embodiments, the battery exchange system 1300 has threetranslational degrees of freedom, to service a variety of differentvehicles 102 and batteries 104. In some embodiments, the batteryexchange system 1300 also has one or more rotational degrees of freedomwhich allow the system to position the battery in the right location inthe electric vehicle. The shuttle 1302 travels between the warehouse 204and the swap station 604 in a direction perpendicular to the directionof the swap lane 202. The shuttle 1302 has an exchange platform 1304which is configured to support a battery 104. The exchange platform 1304is configured to rise vertically by means of a lift mechanism 1306described in more detail in relation to FIG. 14, and it can also slidein the back and forth in the direction of the swap lane (perpendicularto the axis of the shuttle track 1310). In some embodiments, theexchange platform is also configured to rotate about a vertical axis, inorder to correct for any yaw misalignment between the exchange platform1304 (and battery 104 it supports) and the battery bay 108 of thevehicle 102.

FIG. 14 is a detailed perspective view of portions of the batteryexchange system 1300. The exchange platform 1304 includes a gripper 1402which is configured to hold the battery 104. The gripper is equippedwith all the necessary hardware to safely grasp the battery 104 whilesafely exchanging the battery 104. Different grippers 1402 may beprovided for batteries of different sizes, or a universal (or partiallyuniversal) gripper 1402 may be provided. In some embodiments, a rack isprovided inside the warehouse 204 for housing several grippers 1402 fordifferent sized batteries 104. In these embodiments, when needed, theappropriate gripper 1402 is retrieved by the automated robotic mechanism910 and attached to the exchange platform 1304. Then, the appropriatelysized battery is handled by the gripper 1402 (either before or after itis attached to the exchange platform). The gripper 1402 is replaced whenthe station management system learns that there is a vehicle whosebattery requires a different gripper than that currently attached to theexchange platform 1304.

Various types of lift mechanisms 1306 may be employed to raise theexchange platform 1304 and its battery 104 into a cavity or bay 108 inthe vehicle 102. In some embodiments, the exchange platform 1304 raisesby means of a scissor lift. In some embodiments, the exchange platform1304 raises by means of a hydraulic lift, while in other embodiments,other forms of lifting are used.

In some embodiments, the shuttle 1302 also employs one or more indexingsystem(s) 1404. The indexing system(s) 1404 are configured to measurealignment between the exchange platform 1304 and the cavity 108 orbattery 104 at the underside of the vehicle 102, locate the position ofthe vehicle 102 and battery 104, and/or adjust the exchange platform1304 and gripper 1402 so that the gripper 1402 is aligned to grip thedischarged battery 104 and remove it from the electric vehicle 102. Insome embodiments, the indexing system 1404 includes an image processingsystem that uses cameras to identify the location of the battery abovethe exchange platform 1304. The indexing system 1404 assists in aligningthe battery exchange system 1300 with the battery or bay. In someembodiments, final alignment of the exchange platform 1304 and gripper1402 with the discharged battery 104 in the vehicle 1406 is achieved byusing locating pins which align themselves into pilot holes in thebottom section of the battery 104 discussed in application Ser. No.12/428,932, filed Apr. 23, 2009, entitled “Electric Vehicle BatterySystem.”

In some embodiments, the battery exchange system 1300 also includes oneor more unlocking mechanisms 1406 for unlocking the locks discussed inSer. No. 12/428,932, filed Apr. 23, 2009, entitled “Electric VehicleBattery System”. In some embodiments, the unlocking mechanism 1406 isconfigured to electronically activate a lock attaching the battery tothe vehicle 102 and unlock it. In some embodiments, the unlockingmechanism 1406 is configured to mechanically activate the vehicle's lockand unlock it. In some embodiments, the vehicle 102 has two locks thatrequire activation, or has one lock that required both electronic andmechanical activation. In some embodiments the unlocking mechanism 1406is a key. In some embodiments, the key is on the gripper 1402. In otherembodiments, the key is a part of the exchange platform 1304 or theshuttle 1302. In some embodiments, after the key unlocks the lock, thekey retracts into the platform 1304.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the components of the battery exchangesystem 1300 and select components of the warehouse 204. FIG. 15illustrates an embodiment in which the shuttle track 1310 extends intothe opening 916 in the racks 902 of the warehouse 204 so that theshuttle 1302 can be positioned in the opening 916 to receive a battery104 from the automated robotic mechanism 910, or bring a battery 104 tothe automated robotic mechanism 910. In some embodiments, the shuttle1302 moves along the track 1310 extending perpendicular to the rails 914on which the robot 912 of the automated robotic mechanism 910 moves.

FIG. 15 also illustrates that the shuttle track 1310 extends to one ormore battery standby locations 1308 where batteries are temporarilystored during the exchange process. In some embodiments, a fully chargedbattery 104 is temporarily stored at a stand-by location 1308 until adischarged battery 104 has been removed from the vehicle 102. In otherembodiments the discharged battery 104 is temporarily stored in astand-by location until the fully charged battery 104 is inserted intothe vehicle. In some embodiments, no stand-by locations are neededbecause separate battery exchange systems 1300 are used for removing thedischarged batteries and inserting the fully charged batteries. In someembodiments, no stand-by locations are needed because the removeddischarged battery 104 is returned to the warehouse 202 before theautomated robotic mechanism 910 delivers a new charged battery to thebattery exchange system 1300.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are flow diagrams illustrating a method of exchanginga battery that include some or all of these steps. When the electricvehicle approaches the battery exchange station, it wirelesslycommunicates with the battery exchange station to tell it type ofbattery in the vehicle needs (1602). If a suitable battery is availablethe battery exchange station reserves a battery and a lane for thevehicle (1603). The automated robotic mechanism determines if theappropriate type of gripper attached to the exchange platform, and ifnecessary fetches and attaches the appropriate gripper to the exchangeplatform (1604). The automated robotic system and fetches theappropriate type of charged battery, from a rack module in the warehouse(1606). In some embodiments, the automated robotic system fetches thecharged battery while the vehicle is being washed. In some embodiments,the automated robotic mechanism retrieves the charged battery while thevehicle is waiting to enter the swap lane or before. The timing of thesesteps may be dependant on the workload of the battery exchange station.The charged battery is carried by the opening in the warehouse where itis delivered to the battery exchange system (1608). The battery isloaded onto the gripper on the exchange platform of the exchange deviceshuttle. Then in some embodiments the exchange platform travels to theswap station service bay and delivers the charged battery to a standbylocation (1610). The standby location is platform which supports abattery during a battery exchange cycle in order to save time during theexchange process. In some embodiments, the shuttle leaves the chargedbattery in standby location. In some embodiments, several chargedbatteries are kept at the standby location simultaneously in a cue forthe next several vehicles that need batteries. A sliding door systemslides and exposes an opening in the service bay directly below thevehicle's battery bay cavity while simultaneously supporting thevehicle's wheels (1612). In some embodiments, the sliding door systemalso corrects the vehicle's pitch, yaw, and roll alignment (1613). Theopening is variable and depends on vehicle's dimensions. Once the doorto the swap pit has opened the lift mechanism of the shuttle raises theexchange platform along a vertical axis substantially perpendicular tothe plane formed by the bottom surface of the vehicle (along the Z-axisof FIG. 5A) (1614). In some embodiments, the exchange platform alignsitself with the discharged battery using alignment pins and/or camerasor other feedback mechanisms (1616). In some embodiments, the exchangeplatform has three degrees of freedom to align itself with thedischarged battery, and also can rotate to align with any rotation oryaw of the vehicle. In some embodiments, one or more unlockingmechanisms unlock the battery from the electric vehicle (1618). Once thedischarged battery is unlocked, the battery bay in the electric vehicleunlatches the battery and releases it onto the exchange platform. Thegripper on the exchange platform receives the discharged battery (1620).In some embodiments, the gripper mounted on the exchange platformactuates a latching mechanism in the vehicle to unlock the latches andrelease the battery. Once the discharged battery is unlatched from thevehicle and attached to the gripper, the lift mechanism verticallylowers the discharged battery from the vehicle along a vertical axissubstantially perpendicular to the plane formed by the bottom surface ofthe vehicle (along the Z-axis of FIG. 5A) (1622). The shuttle movesalong rails and carries the exchange platform with the dischargedbattery to the opening in the warehouse where it is delivered to theautomated robotic mechanism (1624). Then, the battery exchange systemreturns to the stand-by area where the charged battery has beentemporarily stored retrieves it (1626). Based on recorded digital dataof the discharged battery location in the vehicle, the battery exchangesystem aligns the charged battery with the cavity in the vehicle (1628).The lift mechanism lifts the charged battery into the cavity of theelectric vehicle along a vertical axis substantially perpendicular tothe plane formed by the bottom surface of the vehicle (along the Z-axisof FIG. 5A) (1630). The battery exchange system supports the chargedbattery until the vehicle locks the charged battery. In someembodiments, the gripper contains an actuating device which latches thebattery into the vehicle. Then the lift mechanism retracts the exchangeplatform and gripper (1632). In some embodiments, the vehicle performshealth check process. Upon completion of successful health check, risingsupports are retracted, the swap station door is closed (1634). Then thevehicle wheel stopping unit is released and the vehicle is conveyedtoward the exit of the swap lane. In some embodiments, the exchangestation logs the battery exchange for accounting purposes. (1635). Insome embodiments, the driver drives the vehicle out of the exchangestation once the wheel stopping unit had been removed. In someembodiments, this method of exchanging a discharged battery for acharged battery occurs in under five minutes. In some embodiments, lessthan 5 minutes passes from when the vehicle enters the swap lane to whenit exits.

As discussed with relation to FIGS. 3 and 4, the swapping process maytake place underground or above ground. In underground embodiments thebattery exchange system is located below ground when it is at rest. Theexchange platform and gripper move above ground only to the extentneeded to receive a discharged battery from the vehicle and insert acharged battery into the vehicle's cavity. It should also be noted that,in some embodiments, the standby area may be used for dischargedbatteries instead of charged batteries. In these embodiments thedischarged battery is moved to the standby area while the chargedbattery is inserted into the vehicle. Then it is moved to the warehouse.Similarly, in some embodiments, the standby area is used for bothcharged and discharged batteries. In this embodiment the number of tripsto the warehouse is minimized because the discharged battery is moved tothe standby unit. Then the charged battery is retrieved from the standbyunit, and after the charged battery is inserted into the vehicle thedischarged battery is moved to the warehouse. In still other embodimentsno standby unit is used. The discharged battery is taken to thewarehouse before the charged battery is retrieved from the warehouse. Insome embodiments, two battery exchange systems are utilized along withtwo sliding door systems. In this embodiment, the a first batteryexchange system removes a discharged battery at a first location, thenthe car is conveyed to a second location where a second battery exchangesystem inserts a charged battery. This embodiment allows two one car tohave its discharged battery removed while another car ahead of it in thecue is simultaneously having a charged battery inserted.

In some embodiments, during the charged battery retrieval steps, theexchange station system is performing other preparatory functions. Oncethe swap lane free, a driver interface tells the driver he may proceedinto the swap lane (1636). In some embodiments, a vehicle translationsystem in the swap lane translates the vehicle from one substation tothe next. In some embodiments, the vehicle stops at a cleaning station,where dirt and debris is removed from the underside of the battery(1638). In some embodiments, the entire outside of the vehicle iscleaned at the cleaning station. Then the translation system moves thevehicle to the swap station (1640). The swap station is a location alongthe swap lane where the vehicle stops and is immobilized by a wheelstopping unit. Once the vehicle is conveyed to the swap station and itsposition is set by the stopping unit, the sliding door system exposes anopening in the service bay as described in step (1612).

Similarly, in some embodiments, while the charged battery is beingretrieved from a standby unit and inserted into the vehicle (steps1626-1632) the automated robotic mechanism moves the discharged batteryfrom the opening in the warehouse to its proper rack module (1642). Thenthe actuator arm of the rack module attaches to the discharged batteryand begins recharging it (1644).

In some embodiments, the battery exchange station is built toaccommodate the minimum amount of batteries to allow maximal efficiencyof the station during rush hours when traffic volume into the station ishigh. The bottleneck of the process is the time required to performbattery exchange. Thus the charging system is designed to supply a freshcharged battery anytime an exchange cycle is completed. Each dischargedbattery that enters the station during rush hour immediately begins fastcharging. Once the battery is fully charged it is ready to be assembledon a vehicle. The charging system simultaneously charges the number ofbatteries which are required to deliver a charged battery at everyexchange cycle. For example, if it takes 40 minutes to charge a batteryand each exchange cycle lasts 4 minutes, the station is designed tocharge 10 batteries simultaneously. Therefore, every 4 minutes, a freshcharged battery is ready to be inserted into a vehicle. In such manner,there is a minimum amount of batteries in storage while still meetingthe demands of the users. If traffic volume into the station is reduced,the station management system may decrease the rate of charging or delaycharging events to later hours when the price of electricity may belower. One advantage of the electric vehicle system is that, except at“rush hour” when the batteries are charged at their maxim rate, thebatteries can be charged at otherwise “low” consumption times, allowingelectricity producers more effective grid management. Furthermore, insome embodiments, the electricity from unneeded fully charged batteriescan be returned to the electric grid to alleviate peak demands.

Several methods of battery exchange were described above. A shuttlemodule controls the movement of the batteries from the storage andcharging area to the car exchange area. It should be noted that theprecise mechanism described above is not necessary. For instance,battery exchange is only partially automated, with humans, or humancontrolled machines performing the functions described above.

Hardware and Software Controls

The exchange station makes use of several hardware and softwarecontrols. A real time central controller monitors several programmablelogic controllers (PLCs). Each PLC is engaged to an automated device andcontrols the device operation. The PLC monitors position, speed,acceleration and health of the automation device which is under itscontrol. The real time central controller is slaved under the stationmanagement system which takes the decisions and commands each of theprocesses which occur in the station.

The Station Management system is a software and hardware system whichcontrols substantially all events and operations which take place in thebattery exchange station. The management system is communicating withthe service and control center and with the electric vehicles which arein the vicinity of the battery exchange station. The management systemis capable of making basic decisions about the operation of the station.In some embodiments, the station management system may require someremote assistance is cases of exceptional operating conditions.Substantially all battery exchange station subsystems are slaved underthe station management system and send status reports to the managementsystem.

The Power Management System monitors and enables the flow of electriccurrent from the electric grid to the station subsystems. The powermanagement controller monitors the operation of the station electricsystem.

The Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning system (HVAC)substantially continuously monitors the internal environment inside theexchange station. Temperature, humidity and pressure are constantlymonitored and controlled to prevent those parameters to exceed theirallowed values. During the charging process, considerable amount of heatis emitted from the batteries and the charging system. The HVAC systemcontrols the temperature in the storage room by evacuating heat out ofthe battery charging area by means of a positive air flow. In somebattery packs design, a cold air is blown into cooling ducts, locatedinside the battery packs, in order to keep the batteries temperaturewithin safe margin during the charging process. The ventilation systemperforms several internal ambient air replacements per hour, to preventaccumulation of toxic or flammable gasses inside the station structureand basement. The ventilations system sucks filtered air from outsidethe station and creates positive pressure differences between theinternal cavities of the station to the external environment. In suchmanner different contaminations or fuel vapors (which may come from anearby gas station) do not substantially enter the station structure andare kept from the underground swap pit and from the battery chargers inthe warehouse.

The station is also equipped with toxic gas detection system whichdetects emission of hydrogen and other hydrocarbon or flammable andtoxic gasses when and if batteries are abused and thermal runaway ofbattery cells occur. A gas analyzer sensor will shut down all electricalpower systems and initiate alarms in case of detection of flammablegases. The HVAC system will ventilate the internal cavity of the stationto decrease the flammable gas concentration. In case of fire, theventilation of the station will stop and the fire extinguishing systemwill extinguish the fire.

Fire Detection and Extinguishing System is a redundant fireextinguishing system which uses environmentally friendly gases that willbe initiated if fire is detected. The fire detection and extinguishingsystem is slaved under the station management system.

It should be noted that the structure of the station has climatecontrols to control the battery charging area temperature and humidity.For safety reasons, the battery storage area is resistant to fire.Should a fire start in the battery exchange station, the station isequipped with fire detection and extinguishing units. In someembodiments, environmentally friendly gasses are used to control thefire. A back up powder extinguishing system is also in place which maybe used in addition to the gas fire control system. In some embodiments,the battery storage area is also resistant to vehicle collisions. As theexchange stations are stand-alone structures exposed to the weather,climate control is useful. In some embodiments, there is a HVAC systemthat controls the atmosphere in the battery exchange station. In someembodiments, the HVAC system only controls the climate within thebattery storage and charging area. In some embodiments, the HVAC systemcondensing unit is placed on the roof. In some embodiments, the HVACsystem pushes cold air into cooling ducts located inside the batterypacks. In some embodiments, heating elements for the HVAC systemincludes a hot water coil. Fans are also used to move the air supplyabout, allowing in fresh air and supplying the units with appropriatelyheated or cooled air depending on the ambient conditions. In someembodiments, the battery storage area is sealed off from the environmentduring normal operation. The battery storage area discharges thebatteries onto the robot underneath ground level, and as such isrelatively protected from the external environment. In some embodiments,the battery storage area is equipped with a layer of insulatingmaterial. In some embodiments, the battery storage area has panels orother mechanisms for manually opening the battery storage area. This isuseful in originally loading the batteries into the system, and removingmalfunctioning batteries. It is also useful for allowing maintenance ofany portion of the ASRS system that might malfunction. In someembodiments, the station has a roof which helps protect the vehicles,swapping system, and battery storage from the elements—keeping it coolfrom the sun in the summer and keeping the rain and snow off in thewinter.

Battery Charging System is a system that controls and monitors thebattery charging process. The charging system is comprised of centralcharging controller which is connected to battery chargers. In someembodiments, fast chargers can charge the batteries at substantiallytheir maximal allowed charging rate. In some embodiments, slowerchargers are employed. The central charging system controller monitorsthe charging processes and alerts the station management system for thestate of charge of each of the charging events.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has beendescribed with reference to specific embodiments. However, theillustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modificationsand variations are possible in view of the above teachings. Theembodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and its practical applications, to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention andvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

1. A sliding door system for providing access to an underside of a vehicle, comprising: a door configured to slide in a first direction; and a conveyor system in the door configured to slide in a second direction opposite to the first direction while supporting a least one wheel of a vehicle.
 2. The sliding door system of claim 1, wherein the door is slidably coupled to at least one rail.
 3. The sliding door system of claim 1, wherein said sliding door system is configured to couple to a service bay such that when the door slides it exposes an opening above the service bay.
 4. The sliding door system of claim 3, wherein the opening exposed is of variable size, and is sizable with respect to one or more of the vehicle's wheelbase or track.
 5. The sliding door system of claim 3, wherein the opening exposed is sized to receive a battery for the vehicle there through.
 6. The sliding door system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor system is one or more conveyor belts each configured to support a distinct wheel.
 7. The sliding door system of claim 6, wherein the one or more conveyor belts include a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt, wherein the first conveyor belt is larger than the second conveyor belt to support differently sized vehicles.
 8. The sliding door system of claim 6, wherein the one or more conveyor belts each have an upper supporting surface, wherein the upper supporting surface is flush with the door.
 9. The sliding door system of claim 6, wherein the one or more conveyor belts are free to rotate without power.
 10. The sliding door system of claim 6, further comprising: one or more an electric motors, wherein each electric motor rotates the a respective conveyor belt.
 11. The sliding door system of claim 10, wherein the one or more conveyor belts are configured to alter the yaw of the vehicle
 12. The sliding door system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor system is one or more roller pads each for supporting a distinct wheel.
 13. A method of servicing a vehicle, comprising: providing a sliding door system comprising: a door; and a conveyor system in the door; receiving a vehicle over the sliding door system such that at least one wheel of the vehicle rests on the conveyor system; and sliding the door in a first direction while allowing the conveyor system to slide in a second direction opposite to the first direction while supporting the at least one wheel, wherein the sliding of the door and the sliding of the conveyor system happen at least partially concurrently.
 14. A method of claim 13, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and parallel to an underside of the vehicle.
 15. A method of claim 13, further comprising: providing a first guide positioned on the door adjacent to the conveyor system, and stopping the sliding when the at least one wheel contacts the first guide.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: providing a second guide positioned adjacent to the door; providing a second conveyor system positioned adjacent to the second guide remote from the door for supporting a second wheel; and allowing the second conveyor system to slide in the first direction translating the vehicle in the first direction until the second wheels contacts the second guide.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: providing a conveyor system and corresponding guide for each wheel of the vehicle; and altering the yaw of the vehicle by allowing each conveyor system to rotate until its respective wheel hits its corresponding guide.
 18. A method of claim 13, further comprising: providing one or more rising supports, and lifting the vehicle on the one or more rising supports to alter the vehicle's roll and pitch.
 19. A battery exchange station, comprising: a battery exchange system configured to: lower a first rechargeable battery from a cavity in an underside of an at least partially electric vehicle along a first axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a bottom surface of the at least partially vehicle; and lift second rechargeable battery into the cavity in the underside of the at least partially electric vehicle along a second axis parallel to the first axis.
 20. A battery exchange station of claim 19, further comprising: a warehouse configured to charge a plurality of different sized rechargeable batteries.
 21. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system further comprises: a shuttle slidably coupled to at least one rail; an exchange platform; and a hydraulic or scissor lift mechanism coupled between the shuttle and the exchange platform.
 22. A battery exchange station of claim 21 wherein the battery exchange system further comprises: a gripper coupled to the exchange platform configured to temporarily fix the first and second rechargeable batteries to the battery exchange system.
 23. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system has at least three degrees of freedom.
 24. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system is located below ground when at a rest position.
 25. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system is located above ground when at a rest position.
 26. A battery exchange station of claim 21, further comprising: an indexing system configured to measure alignment between the exchange platform and the cavity in the underside of the at least partially electric vehicle.
 27. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system further comprises: an unlocking mechanism configured to electronically activate a lock on the at least partially electric vehicle.
 28. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system further comprises: an unlocking mechanism configured to mechanically activate a lock on the at least partially electric vehicle.
 29. A method of exchanging a battery in an at least partially electric vehicle, comprising: removing a first rechargeable battery from a cavity in an underside of an at least partially electric vehicle by lowering the first rechargeable battery along a first axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a bottom surface of the at least partially vehicle; inserting the second battery into the cavity in the underside of the at least partially electric vehicle by lifting the second battery along a second axis parallel to the first axis.
 30. A method of claim 29, wherein the first axis and the second axis are collinear.
 31. A method of claim 29, further comprising: prior to the inserting, retrieving the second battery from a battery charging warehouse; and temporarily storing the second battery in a standby location.
 32. A method of claim 31, wherein the retrieving comprises: retrieving, with an automated robotic mechanism the second battery from a rack module inside the battery charging warehouse; and delivering the second battery from the automated robotic mechanism to a battery exchange system.
 33. A method of claim 29, further comprising: after the removing, moving the first rechargeable battery to a battery charging warehouse.
 34. A method of claim 29, further comprising: prior to the removing, mechanically disengaging a lock attaching the first battery to the at least partially electric vehicle.
 35. A method of claim 34, wherein the mechanically disengaging comprises: inserting a key into a lock on the at least partially electric vehicle; and retracting the key until into the exchange platform.
 36. A method of claim 29, wherein the method of exchanging happens in under five minutes.
 37. A method of claim 29, further comprising: prior to the removing, cleaning at least a portion of the first battery.
 38. A method of claim 29, wherein the removing occurs at a first location and the inserting occurs at a second location.
 39. A method of claim 29, further comprising: prior to the removing, automatically translating the vehicle to a first location above a service bay; and after the inserting, automatically translating the vehicle to a second location distinct from the first location.
 40. An expandable modular system of racks with a plurality of rack modules for charging batteries of different sizes.
 41. The expandable modular system claim 40, wherein a respective rack module is configured for charging at least two different sized batteries.
 42. The expandable modular system claim 40, wherein the plurality of rack modules includes first rack modules and second rack modules, wherein the first rack modules are configured to charge batteries of a first size, and the second rack modules are configured to charge batteries of a second size different than the batteries of the first size.
 43. The expandable modular system claim 40, wherein a respective rack module includes: battery presence sensor for sensing when a respective battery is in place; one more battery locating features to enable positioning of the battery; and a connector actuator arm for removably coupling to the battery for charging.
 44. The expandable modular system claim 40, wherein the modular system of rack is entirely underground. 